get your mug and fill it up halfway with rice milk. add a few heaping teaspoons of the cocoa mix. use your aerolatte wand and mix it up (or do it slow by hand sucker). then top the mug off with more rice milk and a few tablespoons of coconut milk (it's the super secret to creamy-wonderfulnessss!).

i pre-measured most of the ingredients to make our cookie making go as smooth as possible.

my mom & dad gave the kiddos their very own aprons...a little early xmas gift!

the secret to keeping my three kids engaged with no spatula fights or throwing flour...was to take turns with pouring & mixing. hollah! they became bakers-in-the-makin for the afternoon.

tommy did really well...he loved dumping the ingredients:)

abbie got a little impatient at one point and did not want to wait her turn...

ohhhhhhhhhh

how long is this going to take mom!?!?

learning to cream the sugar and margarine.

slippery eggies

&

oats!!!

mac thought the oats by themselves were tasty...wierd.

he had no idea what oats were before today.

can you hear tommy singing and banging the drums?

those spatulas are musical you know.

raisins were last...

time to mix it up...

that ice cream scooper is literally the best investment i've made for cookie making e.v.e.r.

very proud she is...scooped the entire pan herself!!!

snapped a pic just before the cookies went in the mouth! delish delish delish. we had the best time, we can't wait to tackle the next challenge! thanks for the recipe jamie o - it has been officially bookmarked with the mullies bunch.

it was a crazy brave thing i did with our food change. and it certainly is not a perfect journey we're on...i'm so glad it isn't. cliche alert: i learn more from my mistakes than anything else. and speaking of rewards baby...boy have they come to our family.

rewards that are not promised nor expected are the best, aren't they?

the new year is coming upon us. you know what my resolution is? to continue to be brave and not worry so much like a worthog. that's it. i'm on my way to finding my (im)perfection - miss gwyneth paltrow hit me between the eyes.

bullllzzzzzzeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeye

all of the conversations i've had with miss camp1899 came back in full force. i hope you enjoy these two posts as much as i have.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

can you hear the choirs of angels singing? aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! i am revealing my most precious concoction with you today. i mean, i really should keep this a secret - it's that good. maybe i'll start a mullies cafe in my cozy hometown...i do fantasize about it. i would make it look just like meryl streep's bakery in the movie it's complicated.

isn't it lovely?

a dairy & gluten free bakery for my local foodies:

organic produce from local farms

organic poultry and meats from local farms

organic sugar, flours and the like...

oh can you just see it?

where is my cloning machine?

and my $$ tree?

i ordered them for xmas...

ok, back to the topic of lattes:

before you say no way jose, don't touch my diary, i mean dairy, you crazy laaaaaady...you really must try it. this dairy free love potion can be used for any dairy or soy substitute.

lattes

hot cocoa

smoothies

and on and on

how do you like your coffee? you can grind fresh coffee or instant (i use instant pretty much every time...) or you can use your k-cups (but make an espresso amount...my chimmie laura makes it perfect!) or whatwhat, see that dandy blend above!? it is super delish - read more about it's awesomeness here. i like to use it at night when i really want a latte but not all the caffeine.

Friday, December 14, 2012

confused by labels? feeling lost in the grocery store? ...it's like a freakin jungle and we're all getting swamp arse.

i used to trust the labels and the promise of good, fast, and easy health. such a marketing sucker i was. it's such a learning curve and the link below is super awesome.

i am so happy to be freed from the "middle isles" of the store. i still buy some chips, granola bars and the like... ohhhhhhhh, stop your whining panic, there is some good stuff out there still!!! you just have to do some comparison shopping now. no more being food dummies my honeys:)

i am so happy to share this with you so you can start weeding out the poo-poo from your pantry.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

are you ready to get off the merry go round? here's a recap of the mullies day 1 through day 95

...and you know i had to add some cheesy music:) play it kris

1. i made the decision to go for the real food change & started the blog to hold me to it. figured i'd give it 8 weeks. two months. that's it. if there was no impact in her sensory issues, inattention, fidgeting, social behavior and ultimately academic success, and i gave it 100%, then i'd never have regrets i didn't trysomething before going to an ADHD doctor. (i mean come on, if i made it through 8 weeks of an NU semester without keeling over, i could at least do this! focus lindsey!!!). fear check: what if it doesn't work - i am kinda scared of drugs...what if it does work - then i have to change forever!?!?

2. i got the support of my spouse & some close friends. i needed them... i could not give up during the "trial" period.

3. i cleaned out my fridge and pantry of any and all items that had artificial colors or preservatives. i wish i had known about these links to help me...it would have made the first purge a lot easier and i wouldn't have kept finding so many "oops" items: the top ten additives to avoid and a comprehensive chemical cuisine. i threw some of the perishables out, gave some away that weren't tooooo bad and donated the rest. yes, it was some $$ but i just looked at it as if i was cleaning out my closet...and i couldn't say, "oh, maybe i'll eat (wear) this again. no, this is not an outfit...it's poison. (if you're not willing to do this, go back to step one. you really haven't jumped ALL IN yet - roll up your sleeves and do it when you are ready.) ...and before you say, "it's just too expensive...check out this link: a real food budget on a weekly food stamp allowance.

5. adopted a new meal-time family policy/philosophy. there was BIG whining at first...much discomfort on my my part that they weren't eating enough...but we all adjusted. i would never have believed my picky eaters (including my husband) would change. they did. it just took me and chris being consistant, being the parents, not offering the crap anymore, not giving into the whining, being calm & firm (we aren't perfect though...), giving options and wrapping up food for later. kids will push hard here to go back to the "good ol days". i love this article and have read it several times... especially the last 9 points on "how to do it" a guide to feeding healthy kids. be patient we're on day 95 and improving everyday.

5. i took a breather. let that first step settle for about a week or so. i began to meal plan & cook more. it helped me grocery shop and be more organized. this is when panic set in a little bit. holy ballz, i have to cook MORE!?!? it was like getting used to running again...a little painful, and it took getting used to:) leftovers are my friend. i started to wear an apron & play music. it's like getting new workout clothes/shoes and a new playlist when you run...it makes it so much more fun.

6. within 4-5 days of the food change, we noticed a shift at home with abbie. she started to fidget less and actually read on her own. no noticeable shift at school yet, so i took it to the next level and eliminated diary and gluten. yup. just did it. panicked a little. calmed down and figured one more month. i could do it!! within two weeks the classroom teacher noticed total, huge improvement and we all celebrated. there was no more ADHD symptoms in our abbie. zilch. holy moly in my holies, it worked.

7. i added back some gluten (spelt flour)...and she got worse. not like she was at the beginning of the year, but she reverted back to being off-task and not paying attention. fartbags.

now if kris is done...you can play this one now:)

i really should keep it for another post...but you'll just have to hear it again i guess. it's quickly become the mullies theme song in the car and we all sing it together. tommy sings it the best.

8. i once again cut out gluten and she's back on track. this article helped me to understand the relationship between gluten and ADHD. i was thinking about doing an elimination trial of fruits and veggies that are high in salicylate, but do not feel the need to do that at this point. i have read and heard some kids can really be sensitive to highly salicylic foods, so this would have been our next step if she was still showing symptoms.

9. if we "slip up" and she ingests something she is sensitive to, it only lasts for about a day or so. this is really great news. it simply must move through her system and she's back on track. it's like the typical expectation that the kids are going to be crazy the day after halloween...:) she also is beginning to realize how these substances in food effect her which is beautiful!

10. i'm spreading the real food love and singing it to the mullies. i am not a doctor or a nutritionist. i am a mom who decided to do try something different. whether ADHD touches your family not, i hope the real food message touches your family somehow like it has ours. research might never be done on this. how can you set up a double blind study when it comes to real families, real lives, personalities and genetics? i didn't want to wait for the next conclusive study. my kids are 3, 6 and 8 years old. i'm 35 and my husband will be turning the big 40 soon. i don't have much time left with them at home. i want to make it count. the mullies is going by fast. start falling in love with real food, kick up some dust with me, i'm right there with you:)

Monday, December 10, 2012

abbie used the fireplace as her foot scratching post yesterday morning.

back before the food change, abbie would always be suffering from itchy feet. always. i totally thought it was some sort of fungus from loving life without socks. gross. creams would help a little..but it would mysteriously come and go.

since the food change, she has had only two bouts of itchy feet. both incidents lasted an hour or two the day after eating something with unknown ingredients.

on saturday, we had a girl's trip to chi-town: abbie's special day for working so hard in school.

i brought some clean snacks, but ate out at two places for lunch and dinner.

we kept it gluten free but i know some unknown additives got in there. i narrowed it down to one of two things, either the box of popcorn she ate with her lunch or the bite of red jello from her dessert plate at dinner. she was so fast, she grabbed the jello before i could tell her not to eat it:) she really really wanted to eat it; she wasn't very happy with me when i took it away from her.

yesterday morning, i asked her at the kitchen island if she thought her itchies came from anything she ate the day before (totally baiting her of course) and she said (with a very serious face), "it was the red jello mom". now, it was more likely the popcorn i think, but i didn't argue as she furiously itched away.

so here's my take away: there will be slip ups and i can't keep her in my clean-food-mommy-cave forever. when she does eat something and has a reaction, we will talk about the connection between her body and the food she eats. that's really the only way she'll become empowered to make good food choices as she gets older and spends more time away from my nest.

ps

i did some digging on the computer and it's amazing how many people are trying to figure out why their feet and hands are itching. did you know that food additives are always on the list of possible causes? before this experience with abbie, there is no way i would have e.v.e.r paid attention to "food additive". yea, no way jose. that would have been just waaaaay too much work to figure out...and mr clark griswold would not have made something that wasn't good for me.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

my pantry was completely stripped of snacks when we went clean for abbie.

my kids were devastated about the snack change more than anything else. i didn't realize how much junk was easily accessible to the kids and how much they were sneaking!!! abbie was the worse of the bunch. i would actually find wrappers on the ground under the shelves:)

have i mentioned that i used to have an entire target grocery cart full of boxes of various snacks? crackers, fruit snacks, cookies, breakfast bars, 100 calorie snack packs, gummy bears...you name it, i bought it. all boxed, all processed.

now, before you get your panties in a bunch and think that i don't buy anything in a box, i still do...i am just v.e.r.y particular in what i buy. here is what i have been buying/rotating in the pantry as of late:

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

no more confusion, wondering and wishing i could have all of my information on food additives in one place! here she is! thank you center for science in the public interest, glad someone's looking out for us:)

i am hoping this cutie pie post inspires some more peeps out there to join in on the fun this month. i just began my gig as a food ambassador for the jamie oliver food revolution last month and it's been a hoot.

it doesn't matter how you cook, vegetarian, with gluten, with dairy, vegan...all is welcome!!

and i need some new ideas already...so hurry up:)

the mullies make your own pizza night - gluten and dairy free

gluten free tortillas

organic tomato sauce

1 lb organic grass fed beef

1 organic onion, chopped (or 1/2 cup dried onions)

vegan parmesan cheese

1 head organic cauliflower

3 T evoo

s&p

preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rough chop the cauliflower, place in a bowl and toss with evoo and s&p. Spread onto a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, turning cauliflower every 10 minutes until nicely caramelized.

as cauliflower is cooking, cook up ground beef with onion on the stove top.

bring the oven back down to 350 degrees and get ready for some pizza making!!

i gave the kids the choice of putting the cauliflower on the pizza or on the side...they of course chose to keep it on the side...so predictable...

for our first night, i kept it VERY simple...we will expand the choices next time for sure:) the dinner table conversation was very lively with the kids. they had all sorts of ideas for new toppings for the next pizza night. topping the list: salami and broccoli. we all decided we needed more colorful pizzas...now how's that for a little nutrition education...the more colorful the better for you, right kids!?

tommy is so proud of his pizza! he had just filled his duffle "backpack" with cars.

abbie loved "painting" the sauce on the tortilla. love the tracksuit girl.

and sprinkling the beef was super fun...almost forgot to wash the hands...

don't forget the vegan parm! no one, not no how missed the mozzarella...which was a first for everyone, especially me!

just put the tortillas right on the racks for about 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. no need for pizza pans!

a pizza flower with a roasted cauliflower middle. gotta get your veggies in and... wait for it...

there was no WHINING to eat the cauliflower. i think they actually like it:)